The Demon Twins
by 12Frida39
Summary: Manny and Frida come face to face with their worst nightmare, the twins Demenia and Demenio are introduced to Miracle city with the help of the transfer student Darla Beairsto. Manny and Frida must choose between saftey in the Land of the Dead, or chaos.
1. Darla Beairsto

Chapter 1

It was the middle of summer vacation, many years after Manny had gotten into the big fight with Sartana. The swelling had long since disappeared after a few weeks, but the scar still lingered, reminding him of the fight when he had nearly lost his own life. He was still a little skeptical about using his El Tigre superpowers, especially until he knew that he could keep his strength up. If there was one thing that Manny could complain about, was the pity that showed in people's eyes whenever he walked past, showing the scar that ran across his left eye. There was one question that had been in his head ever since he had left the hospital.

Just before Manny had passed out, there was a shadow on one of the walls which, for some strange reason, had resembled him. He would try to think of who could have possibly been standing in that room. Then he remembered that there had been a window just on the opposite side of the room. He tried asking Frida if she had seen who it was, but throughout the time that Manny had been unconscious, she was underneath the bed, unable to bear the fear of seeing him in pain. It was as if he wasn't meant to discover who had given him the scar that had already, in a way, changed his life.

When school finally started once again, Manny was about to let the question drop, when he spotted somebody that was completely new to Leone Middle School. It was a girl with long, jet black hair, and eyes that were the deepest shade of green. She wore a dark purple t-shirt, grey flares and magenta flats. There was also one, small detail that was almost unnoticeable. Around her wrist, she had a white watch, that seemed somewhat familiar, but Manny couldn't figure out where he had seen it before. He was snapped out of his thoughts by the teacher, who was in a more cheerful mood than usual.

"We have had a new student join us today," she said, gesturing toward the girl who was almost a shadow, "Darla Beairsto."

The whole class turned to where she was sitting and saw that she was writing something down in a scribbler which, from the looks of it, must have been for math, Manny's worst subject. During the class, her hand shot up for every question, and she always seemed to be eager for the next problem. After what seemed to be the four hundredth question, the bell finally rang for lunch.

When Manny and Frida reached the cafeteria, they were shocked to find that Darla was absolutely surrounded by people eager to hear what life had been like at her old school. When the crowd finally cleared out, Manny took the opportunity to find out more about their new classmate. Before he and Frida reached the table where she sat, three other people joined her and began chatting with her as if they had known each other for years. Frida must have heard something that involved a band, because she was already seated, not even bothering to invite Manny also. He sat down and was surprised to find that Frida's instincts had actually been useful for once.

He looked at the three other people that were sitting next to Darla, and found that they looked as though they were also in the same situation as Darla had been earlier today. It was evident that they had transferred together. For the hundredth time this month he snapped back to the world of reality, by the sound of someone speaking to him.

"Do you want to come to our next concert?" the voice repeated, somewhat impatient.

He looked to Frida who was busy with her meal, not paying attention to what was going on around her. Manny looked back to Darla and saw that she was waiting for him to answer her question. He thought for a moment, wondering if it was worth going to see their band performing in front of most of Miracle City.

"Sure," he replied, not realizing that Frida was staring at him as if he had just agreed to become a villain. Shortly after the band of four left, Manny received a hard slam in the back of his head. It must have been Frida trying to knock some sense into him, but it clearly wouldn't work. During the past two years, Manny had been hit over the head so many times that he had already lost count. He looked to Frida who had an expression of pure hatred on her face.

"What was that for?" Manny wailed, rubbing the back of his head, where a large bruise was bound to appear at some point.

"Don't you even know who that was?" Frida countered, pointing to where Darla and her band had just been sitting. Manny was puzzled as to why she would be asking this question, but it seemed as though his expression showed what he was thinking.

"Darla Beairsto is the most dangerous girl in history!" Frida said digging through her bag, as though there was something in there that could prove this fact. "She has a superpower, one very similar to yours, but also very different, in a way." She pulled out what seemed to be a photo album of some kind. Manny remembered seeing this very same photo album last summer, before they had gone to a summer camp for super villains. As Frida flipped through the book, Manny saw the pictures of her ancestor, Rida Suarez. When Frida neared the end of the book, she stopped, looking to Manny she added, "Are you sure you want to know who she is?"

Manny gave a small nod, looked to the picture that was on the next page and saw that Frida was right. Darla did have superpowers, but not the ones that he had expected.


	2. La Tigresa Negra

Chapter 2

In the picture there was Darla standing in the middle of the page, in a position that made her look as if she was ready to attack. Her powers were very much like Manny's, but the only difference was that she was completely black all over. Black tail, ears, tufts, mask, even her claws were the deepest shade of black that Frida had ever seen. There was only one thing that stood out, and that was her pair of blazing red eyes. If you looked closely, you could see that her watch that was originally pure white was now the deepest black that you could ever have seen. Manny was so absorbed in the picture that he didn't notice Frida was leaving.

As the day went by, Manny couldn't help feeling anxious about Darla's concert for this evening. When school was finally out Manny and Frida were bustling with excitement, unable to think of how well Darla's band would perform, but there was one thing that never stopped bothering Manny. Even though it seemed clear that Frida wasn't a fan of the Beairsto bloodline, she wouldn't take the risk of letting that notion reach Darla's ears.

When the evening drew near, Manny met up with Frida just by the arcade, hoping that she would still go to the concert. If he had to go on his own, he would never hear the end of it. His hopes soared through the roof as he discovered that she had, in fact, waited for him. When they arrived at the concert, they were shocked to see that there were a lot more people there than they had expected to see. It was as if a flood had swept almost all the people of Miracle City to the performance of a lifetime. After minutes of waiting in silence, the lights on the stage went out and a chant rose up from the crowd.

"Shadows, Shadows, Shadows, Shadows!" they screamed. Once they finished the chant, the lights came on once again and revealed Darla and her band, The Shadows, standing center stage, ready to perform. Within minutes of beginning their first song, the crowd was already screaming. It was almost as if The Shadows were world renowned rockstars. Once the concert was over and the overexcited crowd had left, they went backstage, hoping to find that Darla was packing up. However when they arrived behind the curtain, they saw that the rest of the band had remained, and were circled around something that was obscured from view. As Manny and Frida approached, they found that they were leaning over Darla who was lying on the floor, curled in a tight ball. Manny was about to ask what was going on, but before he could even take a step forward, Darla gave a warning hiss. He ignored this and took another step toward her and was knocked backward. After rolling over a few times, when he looked up, he found himself staring at Darla, but there was something different about her. He didn't have time to think about why this was happening, for she was raising her hand, claws unsheathed, ready to attack. Manny kicked her off with all his strength and knew that this wasn't a fight he could win without using his superpowers. Although he had been cautioned not to use his powers before he could keep them under control, there was no way he could make it out of this fight alive without them today.

As he reached for his belt, he saw Darla getting back up, and Frida was screaming at him to turn and run. When he finally spun the buckle, he expected to faint on the floor, but he was once again bowled over by the vicious Darla that was attacking him.

_How could this be happening?_ He thought to himself, all the while trying to release himself of the tight situation he was in. It was as if, by some insane miracle, he had already gained control of his powers. That's when it hit him, literally. Darla had sunk her claws into his arm, clearly not loosening her grip anytime soon. That was where Manny had to draw the line; this person was no longer the transfer student, she was a villainess on the verge of killing him. He had to get her off before he bled to death. Once again he kicked her off, but a lot harder than he had the previous time, even though he was beginning to become light headed from the blood loss. Darla was clearly not fazed by this, for she quickly got up and prepared to lunge again. Manny did the same and, just before he was about to pounce, Darla flopped over onto her side and closed her eyes.

It was clear to Manny that whatever had been in control of her had given up and left her in a heap of shadows. Once they were sure that there was no further harm to come, Manny and Frida returned to Casa de Macho, not wanting to remain where they could be tortured or bled to death. When they reached Manny's room, he immediately went over to his bed, but before he could fall asleep, Frida blurted out something that he could barely hear.

"What?" he asked turning to Frida, who was standing completely still with her eyes wide.

"Whatever was controlling Darla's superpower form was the same thing that had caused the Cat State in the first place." She whispered, but just loud enough for Manny to hear. He didn't even need to know what she demon she was talking about. He had experienced the Cat State one time too many. He knew that this was going to be a replay of last summer all over again.


	3. Summer Camp Again

Chapter 3

It was the day before school started once again, but there was one thing that never changed. The fear of Manny having to, quite literally, fight for his life. He had a sinking feeling that he wasn't going to survive this year without knocking on death's door. Manny had nearly lost Frida to the very same demon that now possessed Darla. Even though he didn't know her all that well, he wouldn't want to take the risk of being blamed for Darla's death.

However, there was one flaw to fighting super powered Darla. Although she and Manny had powers that were very much alike, Darla was just as strong as La Gatita, only worse. There was no way he could stay alive through a whole year of pain, torture, agony, and other words that associated with what he had experienced last summer. Manny had been repeatedly pinned, scratched, shocked, burned, bitten and, on occasion, thrown against the wall.

If he was to fight Darla, he would have to fight her in daylight or, if possible, find somewhere strategically lit. When he had seen her picture in Frida's photo album, he noticed that she didn't resemble La Tigresa at all. It seemed as though Darla had been covered in shadow when the picture was taken. Only after Frida had told him Darla's villainous identity did Manny realize why she had transferred to Leone Middle School. Black Tigresa was a disaster just waiting to happen.

…..

The following day came, but things at school only continued to get worse. It was during the last few hours of the day, there was an outbreak of screaming, coming from the gym. As Manny arrived he saw that Frida was cowering in the corner, trying to shield herself from whatever was on a rampage. He knew very well that there was a rule that stated boys were not allowed in the girl's side of the gym, but this was an emergency. Surely they would allow him to enter in this type of situation. He was about to rush over to Frida and protect her, but the power went out and he could only stay where he was. For what seemed to be the thousandth time since he had gotten his belt, he was bowled over by someone who might have been stupid enough to find the exit. However it was Frida, but there was something very odd about the way she had run into him. Manny didn't want to look down at her, but something very powerful forced him to do so. As his vision became clear in the darkness, he looked down at Frida and saw that she was not breathing. He tried as hard as he could to keep out the one thought that could bring his world to a standstill, but it forced its way in. Frida was dead.

Manny woke with a start, gasping for breath, trying to clear his head of the nightmare he had just experienced. It had been the one thing that Manny had dreaded ever since he had become friends with Frida. If there was one thing that Manny hated more than anything, it was one of his worst fears coming out of his head and into his own life. He could not let this happen to his best friend. When he arrived at school, he looked for the only face he recognized. After a little while searching without finding Frida, he began to worry that Darla had already gotten to her. He was about to give up his search and sink into a pit of depression, when he heard a voice coming from behind him. He turned and saw Frida rushing towards him. It was clear from her expression that she was wearing that she had the same fear that could destroy his world.

It seemed as though Frida was running so fast that she couldn't stop, but luckily she came to a screeching halt just in front of him. If she hadn't have stopped, he would have been bowled over for the last time in his life. He cautiously opened his eyes hoping to see Frida, bright eyed and smiling, but she had a grim look spread across her face. He was about to ask what she was worried about, when she blurted out something that he couldn't understand. He had a funny feeling that he was desperately needed somewhere. He had no time to react for there was high pitched screaming coming from the gym. Manny barely had anytime to register what was going on before Frida grabbed him by the arm and started to drag him toward the gym doors.

When they arrived, all they could see was a very frightened Darla, crouched in a corner, staring at nothing in particular. However, although there was no sign that there was any danger around; Manny could sense that there was something unnatural about this situation. Instinctively, he reached for his belt and transformed into El Tigre. He was about to go up to Darla and comfort her, but something flickered in the shadows. He turned to where the movement had come from, but all he could see was the darkness that surrounded one side of the gym. As he took a step toward the shadowed area, there was another high pitched squeal from Darla, who was looking toward where Manny was headed. Manny and Frida looked back at her, and saw that she was pointing right at Manny. He was absolutely stunned at the fact that Darla would think of him as any danger to anyone, but then he thought it over and realized that she wasn't pointing directly at him.

Manny turned and saw that there was somebody standing right behind him. This person resembled the exact form of Black Tigresa, but was somehow different. Manny knew that this person must be someone that was in desperate need to destroy him. The look in the stranger's eyes said everything.

_Hello Manny Rivera. Long time no see!_


	4. The Twins?

Chapter 4

Manny was puzzled as to why this strange, shadowed figure was talking to him as if they had already met sometime long before this moment. He stared at him for quite a long time before he began to realize what was going on. He was about to ask who this stranger was when an image flashed into his mind. It took him a while to understand what the scene was, but when his vision finally cleared, he saw the image of Rida making an attempt to rid Frida of the demon that was in possession of her body. Soon after he began to feel tears welling up in his eyes, a voice spoke beside him, bringing him back to the world of reality.

"That was me you know," the voice said sounding much like Darla's, but it was also different in a way. Manny looked to where the voice had come from and he saw the shadowed figure standing beside him, looking at the scene that was unfolding before their eyes. It seemed as though Manny should remember this strange figure, but he just couldn't find a solution as to who this person was. If it even _was_ a person. Suddenly, he realized that the person standing next to him was the demon that had controlled the only person he cherished the most. This was the person that had very nearly shattered his world.

Manny was suddenly filled with the anxiety to rip this demon to shreds, but he didn't get the chance, because the image that stood before them began to fade away, only to be replaced with the familiar school gym. As Manny gathered his senses again, he saw movement in front of him and looked up to see that the demon was holding out a hand to him. He was starting to question whether to take the offer, or refuse it and run to protect Darla and Frida, when the figure in front of him spoke to him.

"You never had the chance to know this, but my name's Demenia." She turned to where Darla sat, shaking in the corner of the gym, all the while, looking right at, what seemed to be, her double. Demenia looked toward where another person stood, half covered in shadow, staring right at her. The person intensified their gaze, showing no signs of coming out of the shadows anytime soon. Demenia walked toward the person, clearly angered of this stranger's presence.

"And just what gives you the right to follow me here?" Demenia said, walking in the direction of the corner in which the shadowed figure stood. "I thought I specifically told you NOT to follow me here!"

The stranger let out an annoyed sigh, and spoke in a voice much like Manny's. For a moment he thought that Miguel, the original El Tigre, had come up from the Land of the Dead to visit him, but that could only happen on the Day of the Dead, which was a long ways away by now.

"I just thought that you might need some company… Sis." The stranger said, stepping out into the shadows.

Manny unintentionally let out a gasp of horror, for the person that stood before Demenia was the shaded mirror image of himself. Demenia was still walking towards her brother with a look that sent a shiver down Manny's spine. It was clear from the situation that she didn't want him to be here. It seemed as though Demenia was going to fight her brother out, but she just stopped in front of him.

For a while, Manny stood there, completely still, not even daring to let his tail come into contact with anything. Without warning, the power went out, followed by a chorus of bone-chilling, blood-curling screams. Things were starting to play out just like Manny's nightmare the night before. He braced himself, knowing what would happen next, but it never came. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that this was happening. Manny was jolted back to his thoughts by someone aggressively pulling his hands behind his back, ensuring that he wouldn't make an attempt to escape.

"I think it's nice that you met my sister," a voice said behind him, which must have been Demenio, "But I think it's time that introductions come to an end." Demenio let go of Manny's hands, almost causing him to fall forward. He whipped around hoping to give Demenio a good punch or two, but he was gone before he could realize that he had just been punching empty air. It was too dark to go wandering around with Demenio on the loose, so Manny only had the option of staying where he was.

…

Frida was getting worried about what was happening. The power had gone out and she was anxious to find her beloved little El Tigre and make sure that he was safe. Even if she tried to get past Demenia, there was still her shadow army defense line that she would have to go through. There was also the fact that Demenio was on the loose, which would make escaping without a scratch highly difficult. At first glance, these two seemed to be your average cute, innocent teenagers. Btu they were two teens with even more power at their fingertips than Sartana of the Dead. With a snap of their fingers, tap of their feet, or a simple whistle, they could summon up an army of 200 strong.

Frida was about to sneak past Demenia's small, yet effective defense line, when a pair of strong ands met the back of her shirt, pulling her up so she could barely breathe. She struggled to loosen the grip that held her, but it was no use. There was only the potion of screaming that remained. Frida let out a screech filled with rage, fear, longing and the utmost sheer purity of the one feeling she knew without even having to think of it; her undying love for Manny.


	5. Losing Her Again

Chapter 5

The last words Manny heard from Demenio were, "Hurt me I get you in return, hurt my sister… The one you cherish pays the price." After that he left without a trace, leaving Manny standing alone, his heart racing, fearing whose life would be lost this time. Seconds later Many could hear someone struggling for breath. His heart began pounding even faster; he had a sinking feeling he knew whose life would be lost on his account.

There was an ear piercing scream that rang throughout the whole gym, and the 8th grade hall. Although it was pitch black, Manny could tell that there was someone standing in front of him. Looking up, he saw Demenio holding up Frida by the neck of her shirt. Manny abruptly shot a look of pure anger at Demenio, and almost ended up punching him in the face. He remembered that he had Frida and punching him could mean punching Frida by accident. Aside from the darkness that surrounded them all, Manny could see the pained, fearful and loving stare that was perfectly aimed at him. There was something different about her gaze, though. It was as if there were misty curtains covering Frida's eyes.

She was dying!

Manny sniffed for the scent of blood in the air, but he hardly had any need to. He looked down, only to find a pool of blood around his feet. Manny felt his heart skip a beat, but he had barely realized what was going on before Demenio dropped Frida, and punched him in the face. He was about to give Manny the deathblow, when the power abruptly returned, and the air conditioning resumed its usual hum. The first thing Manny saw was Frida who lay on her side, facing him, breathing fast.

"Frida!" The scream came out with anguish, love and fear. He raced over to her, tears streaming down his face. Manny couldn't bear losing her again.

_Where's Django when you need him?_ Manny thought to himself. He was just about to get up and punch Demenio in return for the bloody nose he had recently received, when a bright, blinding blue light exploded around Frida. Manny didn't even know what was going on, but he held tight to her as the light expanded around the two of them.

As the light grew and grew even more, a voice came into Manny's head, and it sounded very much like the person that lay before him, but filled with wisdom.

"Hello, Manny," the voice said growing louder with every word, "And welcome to The Land of the Dead… Forever!" The ground lurched beneath him and he felt as though it was never going to return. He held even tighter to Frida, if that was even possible at this point, and hoped that it would eventually come to an end.

Manny was starting to think that he was going to wake up and it would all have been another horrible nightmare, but the ground returned beneath him. He found himself staring at an old house that seemed to be abandoned, and the roof looked as though it could cave in at any given moment. The door was wide open, and there was apparently nobody home. Manny picked up Frida who was still unconscious, but stirring slightly, and went inside. When he entered the house he immediately looked for somewhere comfortable so he could lie down and get some much needed rest. For a moment or two, all Manny could see was a blur of dark objects, but his vision finally adjusted to the sudden change in light.

Along one wall there was a window that sat at a diagonal to a couch on the opposite wall. It had two pillows, and a blanket stretched across one of the arms. Manny carefully laid Frida on the couch, and placed one of the pillows on the floor. Once he was satisfied with the pillow's position, he began to search for another blanket that he could use for a makeshift bed. He soon found a fluffy blanket that could be folded over to use as a sort of sleeping bag. By the time that Manny had found everything he needed, Frida was stirring even more. He quickly assembled the makeshift bed and gingerly laid Frida down, ensuring that she would remain comfortable.

Once she was soundly sleeping, Manny took the blanket on the couch, and a pillow for himself and went to sleep; finally getting the rest he had been deprived of for days. He only woke once during the night, but that was because Frida had been stirring restlessly. As he fell asleep once more, he was beginning to think that he would never get out of this place, but he was too tired to worry about that now.


	6. Another Visit With Family

Chapter 6

The last thing that Frida could remember was Manny holding her close, with a sort of panicked look in his eyes. Now she was lying somewhere she thought she ought to recognize, but it never occurred to her where she was exactly. Frida looked around and saw Manny sitting on a couch, looking down at his feet, and it seemed as though he was on the verge of tears. She pushed the thought away as he looked toward her, his face lighting at the sight of her being alive. The only thing Frida could do to prevent him from knowing she was confused, was to act as though she was happier than ever that he was here with her.

Sitting up, Frida looked around, trying to remember where she had seen this place before, but it never came to her. She was about to ask Manny if he knew where they were, however she was spared the embarrassment of doing so, by someone angrily slamming the door wide open.

"You know, every time I read the sign on my door, I say to myself, 'Only a _true_ idiot would dare to come in,' and one just did." Frida looked to where the voice had come from, and saw the only face she would recognize in a split second.

"Rida!" she screamed, rushing over to greet her, very, ancient ancestor. "I thought I would never see you again."

"There's no time for that now," another voice burst out, coming from behind Rida. Manny rushed over screaming like a little girl. "Miguel! Where have you been for the past year?"

"We don't have any time for greetings right now; we have to get somewhere safe before the twins get here." By the time Miguel finished saying the last few words; Rida was already dragging the three of them down to the basement, she seemed to be panicking. As they reached the lower level of the house, there was a massive explosion upstairs, and Frida was glad that Rida had been the one to drag them down here. Rida tapped her on the shoulder, and Frida turned to see that she was holding out something very dark in her hand, which must have been an upgrade for her Gatita belt buckle. Frida took it, and was about to put it on, when Rida's voice came into her head.

"We'll try it out later, but right now, we all have to take care of Demenia and Demenio before they take over The Land of the Dead."

They all waited in tense silence as Rida went up to check if the coast was clear, and the only thing they had to wait for, was Rida's battle cry. Minutes passed before a loud, echoing screech was heard from the land outside. Frida spun her belt buckle, transforming into La Gatita, and Manny did the same, transforming into El Tigre. They all went out into the lit outdoor space that should have been the living room. Demenio and Demenia were waiting for them outside, preparing for an ambush, but Rida bowled them over, sending them flying right into Miguel's grasp.

Miguel began to spin in circles on the spot, and after what seemed to be five minutes, he sent the twins to the other side of the wreckage from what remained of the couch. During the time that Demenia and Demenio were trying to regain their strength, Rida and Frida each grabbed one of them, pulling their hands tightly behind them. When Rida had Demenio under control, she and Frida shocked the twins long enough that they wouldn't make an attempt to escape when El Tigre and Miguel came rushing in. Although they had discussed when the two boys would rush in, it seemed as though they had misunderstood them every time, for Manny and Miguel came rushing in, electrocuting them in the process.

The battle raged on for several hours, but finally, Demenia and Demenio began to lose their strength, and they finally retreated. When everyone had taken some time to relax, Manny, Frida, Rida and Miguel began to work on the repairing what used to be the living room. By the time they completed the finishing touches on the living room, it was already well past midnight. Frida looked to the couch, and saw Miguel lying down, snoring loudly, oblivious to what was happening in the world of reality. She turned to Rida who was staring out the window, looking at the territory that lay beyond the borders of The Land of the Dead.

As Frida approached, she turned to her with a sympathetic look in her eyes, and it seemed as though she was apologizing for something, but Frida didn't have any clue as to what it was.

"He's been taken," Rida sighed, handing Frida a note that had been sitting on the window's ledge, "Demenio took Manny to the Land of the Shadows."

Frida instantly pulled the Demon's Diamond out of her pocket and placed it on her belt buckle, transforming into La Gatita Negra, but before she set off in search of her best friend, Rida called out to her.

"Wait!" Rida shouted, racing toward Frida, sounding a little nervous, "Just like Miguel and Manny, you and I have an Ancient Spirit."

This confused Frida slightly, but she also found a very good use for her newfound power; arriving in the Land of the Shadows faster than she could on foot. She turned to face in the direction she was traveling, and smiled devilishly.

"All the more reason to get there faster," she muttered, "Ancient Gatita Spirit... I summon you!" With a flash of blue-gold light, and a fierce battle cry, she was gone.


	7. La Gatita Negra

Chapter 7

El Tigre only remembered the fierce battle with the twins, Demenia and Demenio. What happened after that was a scrambled blur of faded voices and darkness. Now, he was being held in a prison cell, hands tied behind his back, and his bandana pulled over his mouth. El Tigre knew why the twins had tied his hands back, but having his _own_ bandana pulled over his mouth was going too far. The strangest thing of all, was the fact that Demenia had personally asked the guards to tie down his tail. Sure, he could use his tail for many things, but he had never, not even once, thought of trying to untie a few knots with it.

El Tigre had been trying to use his claws to cut through the ropes that held his hands, but instead he cut the chains that kept his tail on the ground. He sliced through the chains fairly easily, and, using his skillful tail, began to work awayat the knots. El Tigre had nearly finished loosening the first knot, when a voice sounded from the barred window overhead, which seemed miles high.

"Get down," the voice whispered, sounding achingly familiar. There was a tone of urgency as the words were repeated once more, "Get down!"

El Tigre didn't hesitate to huddle up even further into the far corner of his cell, and fold his arms over his head. He was beginning to doubt that there was any point in this, but a massive explosion from outside pushed the thought away. Two of the three standing guard by El Tigre's cell, went to see what had caused the disastrous explosion, and were halfway down the hall when they began to scream like little girls. Their terrified screaming was cut short, and the whole building went into an eerie silence, apart from the blaring alarm. The remaining guard started to tremble uncontrolably, much like a chihuahua. El Tigre resumed attempting to untie the ropes that held his hands, but he had only gotten through the first knot, when something caught his eye.

A dark and ominous figure was sneaking soundlessly across a shaded wall, all the while, keeping a close eye on the lone guard that remained. For a moment, the figure disappeared, only to reappear, growling like mad, claws extended, pouncing directly on the guard, who was now too scared to scream. When the guard finally stopped twitching, the figure dragged the body into the cell next to the one in which El Tigre was contained.

When the figure returned, El Tigre looked closer and saw that it was, in fact, his belove Frida! Trying to talk to her with his bandana pulled over his mouth was pointless, so he tilted his head to one side and raised an eyebrow. Frida must have understood what he meant to say, for she explained what El Tigre wanted to know, using only three words.

"La Gatita Negra."

...

La Gatita Negra was standing in front of the door to the prison cell in which El Tigre was contained. As La Gatita Negra stood there, she noticed that El Tigre's tail was free, and a few loose strands hung from where his hands were tied.

"Seems as though you've been at the ropes," La Gatita Negra teased, smiling slightly when El Tigre gave a small nod and waved his tail. As he began to work away at the knots again, La Gatita Negra was left with the problem of the locked cell door in her way. She was about to unlock it using her claws, but when she went to step forward, her feet wouldn't budge. La Gatita Negra looked down and saw that her feet weren't glued to the ground.

All of a sudden, everything in her head went dark for a moment, and it seemed as though someone was trying to take control of her. Whatever it was, it was obviously not going to let her get away with her precious El Tigre; at least not yet.

"Hello, Frida Suarez," said an ominous voice, "My name's Negra Suarez, and I'm here to kill your crush."

La Gatita Negra was helpless to resist as Negra Suarez forced a low growl out of her, and began advance towars the cell door. The door was instantaneously blasted to fifty pieces with a slash of razor sharp claws. El Tigre looked at her with a horribly terrified look on his face, and he seemed to be scared stiff. La Gatita Negra finally regained some control and forced herself to the ground. Negra Suarez's voice came into her head again, with a slightly angered edge.

"Come on, Frida," Negra Suarez teased, "Can't I just slit his throat?"

This was the only possible comment that would drive La Gatita Negra insane with fury:; she would never let anyone hurt her El Tigre.

"No," La Gatita Negra screeched, tears welling up in her eyes, "I won't let you!"

Negra Suarez took this opportunity to force La Gatita Negra to say the words she had been dreading her whole life.

"Come on, Manny, be a good boy and lie down so I can kill you!"

Negra Suarez fought to regain control of La Gatita Negra, but she was no match for her uncontrolable fury. She made one last attempt to overpower the strength of La Gatita Negra, but she stopped when a voice sounded behind them.

"If you take one more step toward El Tigre, your life will no doubt end today."


	8. Uno! Dos! ADIOS!

Chapter 8

For the first time since he had been cornered, El Tigre averted his eyes from the possessed La Gatita Negra, and looked in the apparent direction from which the voice had come. Much to El Tigre's surprise, Django of the Dead stood behind La Gatita Negra, with his mystic guitar aimed directly at her head, ready to fire. La Gatita Negra whipped around to face him, and her face softened instantaneously.

"Django!" La Gatita Negra went over to him, her tail rose happily.

"Kitten?" Django remarked, quizitively tilting his head to one side.

El Tigre always hated it when Django called her Kitten, but he had to admit, the name did suit her a little more than La Gatita. Django and La Gatita Negra chatted on, exchanging news of what was going on their separate lives. El Tigre was snapped out of his thoughts by Django, who was now screaming an order at La Gatita Negra.

"Take that thing off right now!" Django shouted, pointing to the Demon's Diamond.

"No," La Gatita Negra retorted, taking a step back from Django, who was now furious. "It was a gift from Rida."

Django fell completely silent, and didn't move until El Tigre spoke up.

"I think it's a good idea that you take it off Frida," El Tigre soothed, moving toward her in case Django went on a rampage.

"Listen Kitten," Django dais, sounding uncertain, "Rida shouldn't have given you the Demon's Diamond. Come to think of it, she shouldn't have even touched it in the first place."

While La Gatita Negra was trying to register what Django had recently said, El Tigre saw an opportunity and took the Demon's Diamond off Frida's belt buckle.

"Ready, Django?" El Tigre shouted, holding the Demon's Diamond up high. Django readied his guitar, waiting to shoot once the Diamond was dropped. As soon as Django was ready El Tigre gave a nod in his direction, and Django began the countdown that the two of them were famous for.

"Uno," Django began.

"Dos," El Tigre continued.

They both paused in tense silence before they shouted the last line in unison.

"ADIOS!" they shouted. As El Tigre dropped the Demon's Diamond, Django shot it dead centre, and it disintegrated. El Tigre looked at Django, who had a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"You can't stop me now, you stupid fools," said an angered voice, "Nobody can stop Negra Suarez!"

As the voice said the voice pronounced the last few words, Frida returned to her normal, La Gatita form, and passed out just as Rida and Miguel arrived.

...

When Django, Rida, Miguel and El Tigre arrived at Rida's house, El Tigre carrying Frida, they all gathered in the living room. El Tigre gingerly laid Frida on the couch, feeling relieved when she didn't wake. Almost as fast as Frida had passed out earlier, Rida and Django began arguing with each other.

"I told many times before Rida," Django shouted, pacing the room, "The Demon's Diamond isn't something that you can just give away to anyone!"

"Well sorry for forgetting about the worst part of having it," Rida countered, "But I wasn't the one who sounded like they were joking around when they said that!"

The argument continued on for quite a while, until it came to a point where El Tigre and Miguel had to restrain them, for they were threatening to kill each other in many more ways than El Tigre could imagine. Django pulled out his guitar and aimed it at Rida, waiting until he was released so he could blast her to dust.

"Oh," Rida remarked, her voice laden with sarcasm, "It seems Bone Boy wants to play."

Rida extended her claws, electricity sparkling at the tips, and El Tigre had a feeling that this was going to be a long night.


	9. A Mysterious Visitor

Chapter 9

Frida woke to find Django and Rida in a locked argument. Rida was on the verge of reducing Django to a pile of bones, and El Tigre and Miguel were busy trying to prevent Django from blasting Rida to dust. Frida was still exhausted from the other day, because of Negra Suarez, but there was no time to worry about that now. Django had been aiming his guitar at Rida, but Manny had redirected his aim, which was now pointing toward her. Frida jumped out of the way just as Django strummed his guitar, ducking under the kitchen table for protection.

"Watch where you point that guitar of yours, Django," Frida shouted from underneath her temporary shelter.

They all ignored her comment, mostly because Rida had gone into the Cat State, and was threatening to electrocute anyone that dared oppose her.

"It's not my fault, Kitten," came the voice of Django from somewhere underneath the couch.

"Call her Kitten one more time, Django," El Tigre shouted angrily from the ceiling fan, openly daring him for a fight.

During the time that El Tigre and Django had been bickering, Rida had crossed the room to the switch that controlled the ceiling fan, and was now smiling devilishly. She sent a massive shock wave through the switch, which caused the fan to go into overdrive and fling El Tigre violently toward a wall. There was a loud crash, and a dull thud, closely followed by a series of painful moaning.

"Rida," Miguel shouted, sounding a little nervous, "Snap out of it before you kill someone!"

Frida turned in time to see that Miguel was in a dumbwaiter on the wall behind her, and Rida was angrily walking in his direction. When Rida reached Miguel's hiding place, she extended her claws, and cut the ropes that held the dumbwaiter in place, and Miguel went plummeting to the basement, screaming.

"Much better," Rida sighed as an echoing crash sounded from the lower level of the house.

Frida guessed that El Tigre and Django had seen the incident as well, for they emerged from underneath the couch, crying with uncontrollable laughter.

"That was awesome Rida," Django stuttered, trying to keep his cool.

"Yeah," El Tigre agreed, walking over to the place where the dumbwaiter used to be, "But what about Miguel?"

Apart from the clock, not a sound could be heard, not even Django, who was trying hard not to laugh. It wasn't long before there was a wail from downstairs.

"Frida," Miguel shouted, shouted, sounding slightly frightened, "There's someone here who wants to see you!"

Even Django fell silent as everyone stared at Frida, curious as to how she would react to this news. Frida walked over to the open area where the dumbwaiter should have been, feeling a little skeptical as to who would want to see her at this point in time. Before she jumped into the gaping hole, she spun her belt buckle, transforming into La Gatita, muttering to herself.

"If Zoe Aves is down there, so help me, I will kill her myself."

…

La Gatita arrived in the basement, immediately noticing Miguel, who took her to a separate section of the cold and eerie lower level of Rida's house. In the small room, there was a light bulb that hung from the ceiling, and only a small, wooden door separated the room from the rest of the basement. When La Gatita entered the room, Miguel shut the door behind her, leaving her alone in a cold room, where anything could happen to her, and nobody would realize until it was too late. La Gatita went to the center of the room, hoping to warm up under the faint light that protruded from the light bulb overhead. She waited for a while, and just as she was about to leave and head back upstairs, when a familiarly ominous voice came from behind her.

"I was starting to think you'd never come."

La Gatita spun around and saw Demenio, standing just inches away from her. She backed up, mostly because he had startled her, but also because she was worried that he would provoke her into the Cat State, just as Negra Suarez had done.

"I'm not here for a fight," Demenio soothed raising his hands defensively; "I have a gift for you."

Demenio reached into his pocket and pulled out the Demon's Diamond! It was even more shaded than La Gatita remembered, but right now, that was the least of her worries. As if he had read her mind, Demenio explained how he came to find this extremely rare treasure.

"There've always been _two_ Demon's Diamonds, but now, the one that you have in your hands, is the _last_ of its kind."


End file.
